


New Beginnings

by Living_Free



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Damian’s epiphany, Gen, MCD is Bruce’s canon death, Poor Dick, batbros, batfamily, he’s a sweet boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 02:38:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living_Free/pseuds/Living_Free
Summary: Post Bruce’s death after the battle with Darkseid, in the Dick!Bats era.Immediately after Bruce’s funeral, Damian is reminded of his mission set by his Mother - to kill the false children of Bruce Wayne and take his place as the Heir to the Bat.But for the first time in his life, he sees the grief of a loved one, and realizes that he did not know Bruce Wayne as well as he thought that he did.





	New Beginnings

Come talk to me about Batfam on my tumblr [kindaangelic](http://kindaangelic.tumblr.com). 

Comments and future prompts are welcomed!

* * *

 

“ _Are your ready, Damian?”_

The words of his Mother echoed in his mind as Damian watched Richard Grayson walk into Father’s bedroom, and sit solemnly on the bed. Damian had paused at the door, letting Grayson walk in ahead of him. The older man had not hesitated, his movements graceful, if weighted.

Memory dictated Dick’s motions, years of childhood spent tearing into the room, jumping onto the bed to wake Bruce, only for the man to groan and burrow under the covers like a naked mole rat, or try to cover his shame and that of his previous night’s partner(s). His teens, when Dick would follow Bruce upstairs, their arguments continuing from the Cave. His adult years, waltzing in and amusedly pointing out Bruce’s one insecurity - grey hairs.

Bruce pointedly asking Dick if he ever planned on giving him grandchildren, or if Dick was content in sleeping his way through Gotham. Dick had refuted the statement - he was just waiting for the One. Bruce had nodded, but in firm tones insisted that the One would by no means be Oliver Queen’s boy.

“ _But Roy’s nice,” Dick had said._

_“Yes, but he’s Oliver Queen’s ilk, and I will never live down being related to that man. Pick someone else. Barry Allen’s boy, for example. He’s a redhead, too, I hear.”_

The memories washed over Dick, nostalgia bubbling in his heart, and spilling over onto his cheeks. His vision blurred as he picked up a framed family photo from the bedside table. His fingers traced over Bruce’s image frozen in time, and couldn’t stop the tears from hitting the glass. His partner, his best friend, his savior, his father...now gone.

Damian watched all of this, watched as the man he was sent to kill sobbed over his Father like his heart had been ripped from his chest. The light streaming into the room by the setting sun framed Dick’s shaking body, enveloping the man in the little light and warmth that they could provide.

He could not say for how long he watched his new guardian, but he registered with a jolt the feeling of a hand on his shoulder, gently leading him away from the room. When had Drake’s bony hands become so gentle?

As Damian lay in bed that night, listening to Grayson’s heart wrenching howls of misery from the next room, he contemplated his mother’s questions again. _Are your ready?_

_Are you ready to kill my Beloved’s false children, and take your place as his true heir?_

He listened to Dick scream his grief the rest of night, his grief at losing Damian’s Father apparent to even the heavens. Damian could not imagine grieving so powerfully for a man. But then, Father was no ordinary man, was he? He was Bruce Wayne, the Batman, and for the first time after a long time, Grayson had come, and become his...

His first Robin.

His first reason to love.

His first reason for happiness and something to hold dear.

His first reason for boundless joy and bitter tears.

His first child.

Damian listened to Dick scream and cry until his throat was surely raw, the screams subsiding into broken sobs when he lost his voice, and Damian heard his mother’s question again - _Are you ready?_

Damian fell into an uneasy sleep, his dreams plagued by images of dying gods and weeping angels.

——————

The next morning, Damian went down to breakfast, only for Pennyworth to hand him a tray and instruct him to take it up to Grayson in the master bedroom.

“Be gentle with him,” the old man had said, “he hasn’t slept at all.”

Damian knew this. He walked silently into the room, and saw Grayson tucked into a corner of the bed, his hand reaching across it for the one man who would never sleep there again. Instead, Damian put a piece of toast in the outstretched hand, and watched Grayson’s eyes flutter as he woke.

Dick smiled tiredly at Damian and patted the bed next to himself, and watched as Damian scrambled up. Once he was on the bed, Dick pulled Damian close and held him for a while, before breaking the comfortable silence.

“I’m sorry that you’ll never know him.”

What an odd thing to say. Damian hadn’t expected an apology.

“He was the sweetest man, you know. And I’m going to try, with you.”

Damian looked at Grayson confusedly and blinked. Try what?

“I can’t be your father, but I can give you everything that he gave me. It won’t be perfect, but neither was Bruce. It was enough.” Dick raised his head and looked Damian in the eyes. “Give me a chance? Please?”

And really, how could Damian say no to that?

——————

Later that day, Damian picked up the phone and left a voicemail for a number that he would never call again.

“I’m sorry, mother. You were wrong.”

——————


End file.
